Slow Like Honey
by NicaRox
Summary: Somewhere, within each other, we lost ourselves and found our other half. — AU UtakataxHotaru


**_A/N__:_ **It's been a while! This goodie is directly inspired by SilverShine's '_Nymph__'_.

_**Genre: **_Romance/Drama

_**Rating: **_T (for now)

_**Summary: **_Somewhere, within each other, we lost ourselves and found our other half.

**Slow Like Honey**

[PART I]

**In no way **do I mean disrespect to you. I know you're upset, and it's expected. You are her guardian, _her family. _But even your _curiosity _is a little piqued. After all, you can't just let what you've heard and seen _go_, and I understand. If it were up to me, it wouldn't have even come to this. Actually, _none _of this was supposed to happen. But that doesn't matter to you, does it? You look at me, and I see _loathe _in your eyes. I don't blame you; I never understood her fixation on me, and I never bothered to care. At least, that's how it was in the beginning. To me, she was only a kid – too young and naive for me, and I was never interested in relationships anyway, much less _sexual _encounters.

As much as you are loathe to hearing, you've known me for a while. You never liked me, but you had to trust me, for her sake. You see me as nothing but no good for her and never once did it cross your mind to even _consider _me. Nonetheless, you've put up with me all these years and, in some strange way, you let this happen - and I want to thank you for that.

And you _are _right, I _am _no good for her. You've told her countless times that she could do better, and I don't disagree with you. Not one bit. _But_... I can sincerely tell you, that I am no good _without _her. I _need _her, just as much as she needs me. It's why I am here, sitting before you and asking you to for once, _listen _to me.

Will you do that? She already tried but you were still undeterred. If you won't listen to your own niece, will you _at least _listen to the _scumbag _that wants to be with her? As I sit before you now, in this moment in time, would anything change if I told you that all _this _was beyond me?

_Beyond the two of us?_

To you, she's your beloved niece. She's done you proud and rightly so; she wears her heart on her sleeve and her intentions are earnest. She's amazing at what she does and when she's not, she works hard to get there.

But you don't _know_.

You don't know the side of her that looks towards the sky with a dreamy look on her face_. _You don't know the side where one minute she's beaming like a thousand suns and the next she's clenching her fists and trying to hold back her tears. You don't know the part of her that will do _whatever _it takes to make _everyone _else happy except herself – the annoying selfless _and _selfish part of her.

Where my fondness for this girl started is something of a mystery to me, even now. Somewhere along the secretive smiles, the playful jokes, the angry shouts, and the bitter tears, a bond started. A deep intimate bond that has no words and no form of expression. One that had trust, friendship and _love _all woven together – tangled relentlessly.

Somewhere, within each other, we lost ourselves and found our other half.

I'll tell you when and how it all happened, and _hopefully_... just _maybe_... you will be able to understand.

So, let me start from the beginning.

—

The first time we met was in high school. She was the new student, the one who was rumored to have come from some rich fancy school. I was a fourth year, and it was my second time retaking it. Already a failure but I honestly didn't care.

No, that's a lie – I just thought it to be too troublesome to put the effort, so I didn't bother. I convinced myself that whatever it was I was planning to do, it wouldn't need a diploma. At that age, I was willing to do anything, no matter the consequences.

It's funny how when you're young, you make the stupidest decisions.

We ended up having a class together. I sat in the back because I was planning in failing the class anyway. I didn't want to see or hear what the teacher had to say. All I did was look toward the wall next to me and let my mind wander. That is, until she came.

It was a little after the beginning the semester when she was introduced into the class. I remember only glancing at her and already I could tell that she was different from the students who attended the school. Why you decided to put her in _Kirigakure _is beyond me, seeing as all the students and teachers there couldn't give a rat's ass about the education. They just wanted you out. The students never bothered to try and get educated and the teachers never bothered to make the effort to work with them.

Hotaru wasn't like that.

She sat in the chair in front of me. You know how she is; she was too shy to talk to anyone and wanted to be invisible. I didn't care at first; I would admit, she did stand out appearance wise. She was a breath of fresh air – always had her uniform spot free, always looked primped and tidy. Aside from that, she was actually the only one who legitimately put effort into passing the class. She was always focused and was always taking notes. I knew, because it started to bother me.

I asked myself why she would always have to make so much noise while writing. But it made sense, everyone was either asleep in the class, or they didn't show up. Hotaru was the only one who would take _real _notes (I distinctly remember hearing the _tap tap _of her pencil) and also turned in her assignments neat and typed. The teacher obviously liked her.

At the end of class, which was lunch, I always went outside. I wanted to be alone, so imagine my surprise when I feel a tap on my shoulder as I was nearly dozing off. I _hated _talking to people, and I absolutely _loathed _it when people talked to me.

I open an eye as it twitches. I'm already irritated and I have no patience.

But for a second, my breath hitches in my throat. Not of awe or something cliché you would see in those romance books, but in genuine surprise. She is the last person I would expect to even look in my direction.

I realize that I've been giving her a blank stare for a while and I narrow my eyes in question. She tenses up but smiles nonetheless, albeit unsure. She hands me something – a pencil?

"You dropped this when you walked out of class." I grab it and before I can look up, she is already on her way.

_That's _when it started.

By then, things are different. The whole world is completely normal, but it's like we somehow and subtly made two steps to the left.

The next day in class, she smiles at me. I have no response to this; frankly I am antisocial and rather be pulling my teeth out than be in school. I just look at her and even then, after a few seconds, she seems undeterred and her smile doesn't falter.

"Did you do the assignment?"

Of course I didn't; I would think it was obvious that _no one _did their homework in this class. But she somehow thought it was a good conversation starter if she asked that anyway.

I tell her a flat out no.

"Why? It was so easy, and it takes less than ten minutes."

Something in my brain clicks at that and before I even know what I am doing, I respond.

"But it's due next week." How I remember this is beyond me. Apparently, my brain is very selective in the information it decided to withhold.

She stares at me like I grew a second head – I actually spoke to her, and according to her, that's when her interest _really _ignited. Her smile becomes a more radiant, and her eyes shine just a little brighter and she takes a seat, still facing my way.

"Yeah, I know. But I mean, I'm such a nerd, I just wanted to get it out of the way." The corner of my lip twitches in amusement, I don't smile however. I bet she doesn't even see it. "Are you planning on doing it?"

My response is blunt, and the slight amusement that I just had vanishes completely. "No."

Her smile falters and she tilts her head curiously. "Why?" But before we can continue the conversation, the teacher has already come in. Strangely enough, I want to keep talking to her. It's a strange feeling that I initially don't welcome; all she did was hand me back my pencil and exchanged a few words with me. Whatever. Not a big deal. It's not like we're best friends or something dumb like that. I talk to people all the time.

..._right_

When class is over, I don't expect her to come back to my spot. But of course she does. I already know it's her even before she speaks to me. Maybe it's the way her steps sound, or the fact that her scent hits my nose a mile away. Or it could be just because no one else in this school knows me well enough to talk to me.

"Do you come here every day?" She asks. I debate whether I should respond or not. What do I have to lose?

"Yes." Is all I say without opening an eye. I hear her shuffle her things, and it's obvious she sits down. Not too close, but close enough for her scent to overwhelm me.

But strangely enough, I don't mind.

"So.. uh.. you _aren't _planning to do the assignment?"

That makes me open an eye, but then I close it and shrug.

"There's no point. I don't care for that class."

"... Is it that you don't get the material?"

That _almost _makes me chuckle. See, passing my classes was never a matter of me getting it or not, it's just the effort I have to put into it and the lack of motivation I have make no room for me to even care. I'm planning on moving away soon anyway; I could do without school and could just get a job. It wouldn't be too particularly hard to find. I don't say any of this of course, I just shrug my shoulders indifferently.

I notice, during this time, my change in behavior. I never bothered to interact with people and vice versa. It wasn't a situation of _the world is against me, _but rather a _I hate people so why bother _type of thing. This 2nd year girl practically waltzed into my _space _and invaded my _personal bubble. _And it takes me a moment to realize that I let it happen.

It goes on like that for a while and it's not annoying as I thought it would initially be. The conversations start to get longer, and the interactions become more frequent. We spend time together during lunch _actually _doing schoolwork. Soon enough, she finds out that I am not what I seem. I am not an idiot nor am I slow; I'm pretty smart, but at the same time completely stupid for not using that intelligence to pass high school. I'm wasting my time and I know it, but there's a lot more to it than that. Hotaru doesn't bother about my _reasons _though, and she instead focuses on my _actions. _This _fourteen year old _not only somehow gotten _into _my space, but she also made me _get out _of my comfort zone and made me _productive. __A_s expected, she starts to rub off on me; I start doing homework and before I know it, I actually make an effort to pass my classes. No longer do I avoid my home and do nothing; I go to the library and do homework, or study for some test I have next week. I help her in any of her classes because I've had them all. It feels _good. _

It doesn't last long.

I don't know the exact day or time, but I remember when I told her that I passed all my classes and was _considering _going to college, she graced me with one of the most radiant smiles and nearly choked me with her embrace – no surprise there, I was a twig. I was too shocked to do anything and instead sat there like an idiot. But it wasn't a _happy _thing to celebrate about, and I feel annoyed that she feels _happy _for me. Doesn't she know what this means? _I'll be moving away. _

Though, I have the feeling that I probably am feeling more down about it than I should be. We've known each other for a solid good few months, but it still doesn't mean we're intimately close or anything.

At least, it _shouldn't _be... right?

We don't spend as much time anymore; she has her finals to focus on and I have to focus on the last few assignments I need to turn in. I almost feel like throwing it all away. Somehow, her not being here, in my spot at lunch, makes my accomplishment feel empty and one sided. But I know that if I do, I'll get a look of disappointment from her, and that thought alone makes me not think twice about it and accept the fact that I'll be leaving. Though I passed, it was by a _hunch_; my marks aren't all that great and they are _ok. _The kind that some lazy good for nothing student arbitrarily decided to pick up the pace at the last minute. Which was exactly what happened.

Time goes by fast; we spend one more day during lunch in the usual place. She can't stay long because her uncle is picking her up to take her somewhere to eat. A reward for getting high marks.

We don't see each other for a few years after that.


End file.
